U.S. patent application number 13/839163 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-24 for magnetic recording system and magnetic recording device.
The applicant listed for this patent is TDK Corporation. Invention is credited to Mikio MATSUZAKI, Tomohiro Nozaki, Masashi Sahashi, Tatsuo Shibata, Koichi Shinohara.
Application Number | 20130279309 13/839163 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49380020 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130279309 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MATSUZAKI; Mikio ; et
al. |
October 24, 2013 |
MAGNETIC RECORDING SYSTEM AND MAGNETIC RECORDING DEVICE
Abstract
A magnetic recording system including follows: a recording head,
a recording medium that includes a first recording medium layer, a
second recording medium layer, and a substrate. The magnetic
recording system includes an electric field applying device
applying an electric field and a magnetic field applying device
applying a magnetic field to the recording medium, a movement
mechanism that moves them to an arbitrary position. The magnetic
recording system has a function of controlling an applying
direction of at least one of the electric field applying device and
the magnetic field applying device, and the recording head is
arranged at a position facing the recording medium.
Inventors: |
MATSUZAKI; Mikio; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Shinohara; Koichi; (Tokyo, JP) ;
Shibata; Tatsuo; (Tokyo, JP) ; Sahashi; Masashi;
(Miyagi, JP) ; Nozaki; Tomohiro; (Miyagi,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TDK Corporation |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
49380020 |
Appl. No.: |
13/839163 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61614646 |
Mar 23, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
369/13.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 5/62 20130101; G11B
5/66 20130101; G11B 5/1278 20130101; G11B 2005/0005 20130101; G11B
5/012 20130101; G11B 5/3133 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
369/13.01 |
International
Class: |
G11B 5/62 20060101
G11B005/62 |
Claims
1. A magnetic recording system, comprising following
configurations: a recording head; a recording medium that includes
a first recording medium layer, a second recording medium layer,
and a substrate, wherein the first recording medium layer includes
an antiferromagnetic thin film formed of an antiferromagnetic
material having a magneto electric (ME) effect, the second
recording medium layer includes a ferromagnetic thin film for
generating a large magnetization necessary for transferring and
reading magnetic data recorded in the first recording medium layer,
the substrate holds the first recording medium layer and the second
recording medium layer that are laminated thereon; an electric
field applying device that applies an electric field to the
recording medium; a magnetic field applying device that applies a
magnetic field; and a movement mechanism that has a function of
moving at least one of the electric field applying device and the
magnetic field applying device to an arbitrary position on the
recording medium, wherein the magnetic recording system has a
function of controlling an applying direction of at least one of
the electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device, and the recording head is arranged at a position facing the
recording medium.
2. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
antiferromagnetic thin film having the ME effect includes at least
one of .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, YMnO.sub.3, and BiFeO.sub.3.
3. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
first recording medium layer further includes an antiferromagnetic
material not having the ME effect, a Neel temperature of the
antiferromagnetic material is higher than a Neel temperature of the
antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect, and the first
recording medium layer has a structure in which the
antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect and the
antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect are laminated
or mixed.
4. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
antiferromagnetic thin film having the ME effect is a ferrimagnetic
thin film, and the ferrimagnetic thin film includes
Ga.sub.1-xAl.sub.xFeO.sub.3 (0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1).
5. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
first recording medium layer further includes an antiferromagnetic
material not having the ME effect, the antiferromagnetic material
having the ME effect is a ferrimagnetic material, a Neel
temperature of the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME
effect is higher than a Curie temperature of the ferrimagnetic
material having the ME effect, and the first recording medium layer
has a structure in which the ferrimagnetic material having the ME
effect and the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect
are laminated or mixed.
6. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording medium further includes a third recording medium layer,
the third recording medium layer is on the substrate side with
respect to the first and second recording medium layers, and the
third recording medium layer has a function of forming a magnetic
path of magnetic flux for writing.
7. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
first recording medium layer further includes an antiferromagnetic
material not having the ME effect, and the antiferromagnetic
material includes one of an antiferromagnetic metal and an
antiferromagnetic oxide that include at least one transition metal
element.
8. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
second recording medium layer further includes a ferromagnetic thin
film, and the ferromagnetic thin film that includes one of a soft
magnetic metal, a hard magnetic metal, and a ferromagnetic metal
oxide that include at least one of Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn.
9. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording medium further includes a third recording medium layer,
the third recording medium layer that includes one of a soft
magnetic metal and a soft magnetic metal oxide that include at
least one of Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn.
10. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording head includes one of or both the electric field applying
device and the magnetic field applying device, the electric field
applying device has a function of spatially limiting and applying
an electric field, the magnetic field applying device has a
function of spatially limiting and applying a magnetic field, the
recording head has a switching function that switches the electric
field and/or magnetic field so as to alternately switch between a
parallel state where the electric field and the magnetic field are
almost parallel and an antiparallel state where the electric field
and the magnetic field are almost antiparallel, the electric field
and the magnetic field being applied to the recording medium and
data recording to the recording medium is performed by the
switching function.
11. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording head includes the magnetic field applying device, and the
magnetic field applying device is a permanent magnet.
12. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording head includes the magnetic field applying device, and the
magnetic field applying device is formed with a coil for flowing a
current and a yoke (magnetic core) for focusing magnetic flux.
13. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
electric field applying device is formed with following
configurations: an electrode formed in the recording head; a power
source connected between the electrode and the recording medium;
and a ground connected to the recording medium.
14. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
recording medium further has a third recording medium layer, the
electric field applying device is formed with following
configurations: an electrode connected to the second recording
medium layer; an electrode connected to the third recording medium
layer; a ground connected to one of the electrode connected to the
second recording medium layer and the electrode connected to the
third recording medium layer; and a power source connected between
the electrode connected to the second recording medium layer and
the electrode connected to the third recording medium layer.
15. A magnetic recording device formed with a recording medium, a
magnetic field applying part, and an electric applying part,
wherein the recording medium has a first recording medium layer and
a second recording medium layer, the first recording medium layer
including an antiferromagnetic film configured of an
antiferromagnetic material having a magneto electric (ME) effect,
the second recording medium layer including a ferromagnetic layer
configured of a ferromagnetic material and being arranged in a
position at which the second recording medium layer
exchange-couples to the antiferromagnetic film, the magnetic field
applying part applies a magnetic field to the recording medium, and
the electric field applying part has an upper electrode and a lower
electrode, and applies an electric field to the recording medium
that is arranged between the upper electrode and the lower
electrode, an applying direction of one of the magnetic field
applying part and the electric field applying part is pinned and an
applying direction of the other of the magnetic field applying part
and the electric field applying part can be reversed by
180.degree., the magnetic field and the electric field to be
applied are superimposed to form a superimposition region where
both an electric field and a magnetic field are applied, and the
recording medium is arranged such that the first recording medium
layer moves in the superimposition region.
16. The magnetic recording device according to claim 15, wherein a
width (Ws) in a track width direction of the superimposition region
on the first recording medium layer is in a range of 1-200 nm.
17. The magnetic recording device according to claim 15, wherein
one of the magnetic field applying part and the electric field
applying part has a sharp tip end, and the tip end has a shape
whose width (w, d) at a position (q) 1 nm distant from the tip end
is in a range of 0.4-80 nm.
18. A magnetic data system formed with the magnetic recording
device according to claim 15 and a magnetic data reading part,
wherein the magnetic data reading part has a configuration for
reading magnetic data of the second recording medium layer of the
recording medium.
19. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
first recording medium layer is positioned on the substrate side
with respect to the second recording medium layer.
20. The magnetic recording system according to claim 1, wherein the
second recording medium layer is positioned on the substrate side
with respect to the first recording medium layer.
Description
[0001] The present application is a Non-provisional patent
application claiming the domestic priority of U.S. provisional
patent application No. 61/614,646, filed on Mar. 23, 2012, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] It is expected that the demand for the higher capacity of
magnetic recording system has been increased as the development in
computer network goes on. The development in the computer network
is especially the increase in the variety of uses for large-scale
data centers that are compatible with crowd computing. To meet the
demand for the higher capacity of hard disks, which are one of the
magnetic recording system, may also be a response to the demand for
energy-saving. This is because, in the case of hard disks, power
consumption per recording capacity can be decreased due to the
higher capacity although it has been assumed that the larger-scale
data center may cause power shortage.
[0003] In hard disks, an aggregation of fine ferromagnetic
crystalline grains is treated as one recording bit. Each of the
ferromagnetic crystalline grains is a single magnet. Therefore, in
order to perform preferable high density recording with less noise,
it is necessary to make the ferromagnetic crystalline grains more
minute simultaneously with making the area of the recording bit
smaller. For example, when the recording density is 10
Gbit/in.sup.2, the size of a unit recording bit is approximately
200.times.300 nm.sup.2; when the recording density is 100
Gbit/in.sup.2, the size is approximately 75.times.100 nm.sup.2; and
when the recording density is 1 Tbit/in.sup.2, the size is
20.times.30 nm.sup.2, which is an extremely minute size.
[0004] In contrast, it has been known that thermal stability of
ferromagnetic characteristic decreases due to the decrease in a
grain size in the case when the ferromagnetic crystals are made
more minute. In order to stably hold magnetic data (net
magnetization and its direction), the product of magneto
crystalline anisotropy (Ku) and volume of ferromagnetic crystals
(V) have to be a sufficiently large value with respect to a
fluctuation factor of heat (KuV/KbT>40-60; herein Kb: Boltzmann
constant, T: absolute temperature). Therefore, in order to make the
ferromagnetic crystals more minute while erasure of magnetic data
due to heat is prevented, it is effective to use a magnetic
material with large magnetic anisotropy energy. However, when the
magneto crystalline anisotropy energy is increased, coercive force
(Hc) is increased as well. Therefore, in order to operate reversal
of a magnetization thereof, an even larger writing magnetic field
is needed. On the other hand, in a recording head of a magnetic
field writing type, which is currently used, the value of
saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) of a soft magnetic material
used for a magnetic pole reaches 2.4 T, which is close to physical
limitation. So, it is difficult to generate further larger writing
magnetic field, and a problem that magnetic data cannot be written
to a recording medium with high coercive force has occurred.
[0005] As described above, the conventional magnetic recording
principle, which is a system that operates a state of a recording
magnetization (spin) using an external applied magnetic field,
faces a substantial issue that is saturation of writing magnetic
field intensity of a recording head, in addition to the difficulty
of focusing a magnetic field on a local space. It is assumed that
the increase in the recording capacity eventually reaches its limit
with the conventional method that attempts to realize the increase
in the recording capacity by making the ferromagnetic crystals,
which is the medium, more minute.
[0006] In contrast, a technology has been proposed that writing to
a high coercive force recording medium is performed by
superimposing additional assist energy such as thermal energy and
microwave from external in addition to applying a magnetic field.
Thermal-assisted magnetic recording is a technique for performing
writing by locally heating particulate recording medium using laser
to decrease effective coercive force only during writing. Also, a
microwave-assisted magnetic recording is a technology in which a
magnetic recording medium is irradiated with high frequency
microwave to decrease an effective recording magnetic field due to
precession of a recording magnetic moment so that reversal of the
recording magnetization is made easy. Both of these technologies
are for compensating the lack of a reconrding magnetic field
strength from a recording head with respect to a medium with high
coercive force, and cannot be an essential solution. Furthermore,
in these technologies, since a generation apparatus that generates
laser light for heating, an optical waveguide, or a high frequency
microwave oscillation apparatus necessary for magnetic resonance is
required, there are problems that a thermal design or a
configuration of the device is made complicated and further
necessary energy consumption during writing is increased.
[0007] In order to meet the social needs of the large capacity of
recording data and continue to realize a sustainable increase in
the magnetic recording capacity, it is necessary to establish a
technique that resolves trilemma of magnetic recording that is
caused by a necessity of simultaneously realizing the decrease in
an area of a recording bit and further minuteness of ferromagnetic
grains. Now, several fundamental researches that follow the
direction have advanced.
[0008] For example, in recent years, a magnetization control method
using an electrical means, which is different from magnetization
control using only an applied magnetic field, has been getting
attention. For example, in WO 2009/133650 (Osaka University); D.
Chiba et. al., Nature, 455,515 (2008) (Tohoku University); and Y.
Shiota, Nature Materials, 11, 39 (2012) (Osaka Universit), a means
that controls magnetic anisotropy of a ferromagnetic metal using an
electric field effect has been proposed. Also, in JP Laid-Open
Patent Application No. 2007-265512 (Hitachi), a means that controls
magnetic characteristics of a magnetic semiconductor using an
electrical field effect is proposed. Also, in JP Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 2004-342183, JP Laid-Open Patent Application No.
2001-196661 (Sony), and WO 95/22820 (Philips), a means that
controls exchange interaction using potential change caused by
applying an electric field is proposed, and herein the exchange
interaction functions between two ferromagnetic layers.
[0009] In contrast, a means that operates magnetic characteristics
using electric filed or operates electric characteristics using
magnetic field by using a magneto electric effect (hereinafter, to
be referred to as ME effect), which is cross correlation of
electricity and magnetism, has also been proposed. In the prior art
literature, W. Kleemann, Physics, 2, 105 (2009), a magnetic
recording head that performs writing using change in magnetic
moment caused by the ME effect is proposed. However, the change
amount of magnetic moment induced by the ME effect is still
limited, and it is difficult to cause sufficiently large change in
moment reversal in a magnetic recording medium, etc., to use it for
a writing head of a magnetic recording device.
[0010] As another means that is different from the above-described
means, an attempt to control the strength and direction of
exchange-coupling existing between an antiferromagnetic material
and a ferromagnetic material using the ME effect is reported. (P.
Borisov et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 94, 117203 (2005) and H. Xe et.
al., Nature Materials, 9, 579 (2010)). FIG. 1A shows a basic
structure of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, which is an antiferromagnetic oxide;
FIG. 1B is a schematic view that shows two antiferromagnetic states
(Type 1 and Type 2) that Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 can take; and FIG. 1C
shows respective free energy of the two antiferromagnetic states.
Regarding the free energy, this application incorporates
references, I.E. Dzyaloshinskill, SOVIET PHYSICS JEPT-USSR, 10, 628
(1960), T. J. Martin et at, IEEE Trans. Magn., MAG-2, 446 (1966).
Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 is a typical ME material that accompanies breaking
of space-inversion symmetry & time-reversal symmetry, and spins
existing in Cr atoms are lined in the c axis direction. The
antiferromagnetic state (Type 1) shown on the left side of the
figure and the antiferromagnetic state (Type 2) shown on the right
side of the figure generate unidirectional anisotropy (exchange
bias) whose direction is 180 degree different from each other in an
adjacent ferromagnetic layer. When no external field exists, the
energy states (Types 1 and 2) are equivalent. Also, when only
either one of an electric field and a magnetic field exists as an
external field, energy difference does not occur as well. However,
when both an electric field and a magnetic field simultaneously act
as external fields, the energy difference between the states occurs
in proportion to a product of both of the external fields. For
example, the prior art literature N. Wu et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett.,
106, 087202 (2011) describes that it is possible to operate an
existence probability of either one of the antiferromagnetic states
by simultaneously applying an electric field and a magnetic field
to an epitaxial thin film of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3. Also, in the prior
art literature, X. Chen, Appl. Phys. Lett., 89, 202508 (2006), and
U.S. Pat. No. 7,719,883 B2, a device like a so-called
magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) is proposed. The
device realizes two different resistive states in a magnetic
resistive element such as a spin valve, a TMR element, etc. by
switching the two antiferromagnetic states with each other to
reverse the direction of an exchange bias acting on an adjacent
ferromagnetic layer. However, the previous proposals are made
assuming that magnetizations in an entire region of a ferromagnetic
layer adjacent to the antiferromagnetic layer part are operated all
at once by exchange-coupling as the direction of a magnetization of
a pinned layer configuring a MRAM is operated. In other words, a
way of selectively operating only magnetizations in an arbitrary
region of an antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to an
antiferromagnetic layer and a way of making a region to be operated
more minute are not considered.
[0011] In contrast, in a magnetic recording device such as a hard
disk drive, recording of magnetic data is performed by selectively
operating the direction of a magnetization in an arbitrary region.
In order to further develop the higher density recording that the
limitation of the conventional type magnetic recording system such
as the above-describe trilemma has been pointed out, a recording
technology that can form a recording bit without being influenced
by the size of crystalline grains of a ferromagnetic material
configuring a magnetic recording medium or the presence of a grain
boundary is needed.
[0012] FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of a conventional
recording method. Here, a method of a perpendicular recording
system that applies a magnetic field in the direction perpendicular
to a surface of a disk medium is shown. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view
of the surface of the disk medium. MF in the figure indicates a
magnetization direction, and plus and minus directions are shown by
an arrow. The direction corresponds to Z axis direction in the
figure. TW denotes a track width of a bit. BP denotes a bit pitch
and corresponds to Y axis direction in the figure. Note, a movement
direction of the disk medium corresponds to Y axis direction. Also,
a situation of an array of bits (recording cells) magnetized in
plus and minus directions corresponding to the applied
magnetization is shown. In the figure, bits with diagonal lines are
magnetized in the plus direction, and bits with blank space mean a
magnetization of minus. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the circle
portion shown by a broken line in FIG. 2A, which is a boundary
between plus bits and minus bits. The solid line shown in the
center of the figure indicates an actual boundary of an applied
magnetic field for writing. It can be said that a state in which
magnetization states of bits transit along the boundary is an ideal
state. However, the magnetized direction of an actual magnetization
is determined by each crystal grain unsteadily existing on the
boundary, and therefore crystal grains existing in a manner of
covering over the boundary may be partially magnetized in a
direction opposite to the original direction. As an example, in the
figure, P1 and P2 are originally regions (recording cells) that
should be magnetized in the minus direction, but are magnetized in
the plus direction. P3 and P4 are originally regions that should be
magnetized in the plus direction, but are magnetized in the minus
direction. As described above, in the conventional method, the
magnetization direction of each grain is changeable, so that detail
observation of the magnetization transition region shows that there
are some regions of which magnetization directions don't correspond
to a general magnetization direction. This width is defined as a
magnetic transition width (MTW), and the existence of this width
may cause a noise and prevent the high recording density. In order
to prevent this phenomenon, a recording method is needed that
creates regions of which magnetizations reverse along the boundary
of an actual magnetization even in the internals of crystal grains,
but don't reverse by each crystal grain.
SUMMARY
[0013] A magnetic recording system disclosed in the present
application includes at least a recording medium and a recording
head. Also, the magnetic recording system disclosed in the present
applying has an electric field applying device and a magnetic field
applying device to simultaneously apply an electric field and a
magnetic field to the recording medium during data recording.
Herein, "simultaneously apply an electric field and a magnetic
field" means that a portion where an electric field and a magnetic
field are superimposed is transitorily formed in the recording
medium.
[0014] One characteristic of the magnetic recording system
disclosed in the present application is a structure of a recording
medium to be used. The recording medium includes at least a first
recording medium layer, a second recording medium layer, and a
substrate. The substrate has a function of holding the first
recording medium layer and the second recording medium layer. It is
preferred that the first recording medium layer is held to be
positioned on the substrate side with respect to the second
recording medium layer. The first recording medium layer has at
least one of an antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect and
a ferrimagnetic material having the ME effect. Note, in the present
application, properties of the antiferromagnetic material and the
ferrimagnetic material are close to each other when the two are
distinguished by the way of array of spins, so the ferrimagnetic
material having the ME effect is considered as one type of the
antiferromagnetic material. The second recording medium layer
includes a ferromagnetic thin film for generating a large
magnetization necessary for transferring and reading magnetic data
recorded in the first recording medium layer.
[0015] The magnetic recording system disclosed in the present
applying has the electric field applying device that applies an
electric field to the recording medium and the magnetic field
applying device that applies a magnetic field. One of or both the
electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device is (are) given the function of moving to an arbitrary
position on the recording medium surface. Also, one of or both the
electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device may have the function of controlling the applying direction
of an electric field and/or a magnetic field. One of or both the
electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device may be included in the recording head. Therefore, the
recording head is arranged in the position facing the recording
medium.
[0016] The recording medium of the magnetic recording system
disclosed in the present application is explained.
[0017] The recording medium layers (including at least the first
and second recording medium layers) provided on the substrate are
preferably continuous films on at least a most surface part (side
opposite to the direction of the substrate). On the side of the
substrate, the recording medium layers may be formed as separated
discontinuous films.
[0018] An antiferromagnetic thin film included in the first
recording medium layer preferably includes at least one of
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, YMnO.sub.3, and BiFeO.sub.3.
[0019] The first recording medium layer may include a thermally
stable antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect in order
to increase thermal and magnetic stability of magnetic data
recorded in the medium part. At this time, the Neel temperature of
the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect is
preferably higher than the Neel temperature of the
antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect included in the
first recording medium layer.
[0020] An antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect
preferably includes one of an antiferromagnetic metal and an
antiferromagnetic oxide that include at least one transition metal
element.
[0021] A lamination structure made of the antiferromagnetic
material having the ME effect and the antiferromagnetic material
not having the ME effect may be applicable. Also, a mixture
structure made of the antiferromagnetic material having the ME
effect and the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect
may also be applicable. The structure may be a structure in which
the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect dispersed
in the antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect. A
lamination form of the antiferromagnetic material may be formed by
laminating this mixture to be used as the first recording medium
layer.
[0022] The ferrimagnetic thin film included in the first recording
medium layer preferably includes Ga.sub.1-xAl.sub.xFeO.sub.3
(0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1) having the ME effect.
[0023] The first recording medium layer may include a thermally
stable antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect in order
to increase thermal and magnetic stability of magnetic data
recorded in the medium part. At this time, the Neel temperature of
the antiferromagnetic material not having the ME effect is
preferably higher than the Curie temperature of the ferrimagnetic
material having the ME effect.
[0024] A lamination structure made of the ferrimagnetic material
having the ME effect and the antiferromagnetic material that does
not have the ME effect may be applicable. Also, a mixture structure
in which the ferrimagnetic material having the ME effect and the
antiferromagnetic material that does not have the ME effect are
mixed may be applicable. The structure may also be a structure in
which the antiferromagnetic material that does not have the ME
effect dispersed in the ferrimagnetic material having the ME
effect. A lamination structure of the antiferromagnetic material
may be formed by laminating this mixture material to be used as the
first recording medium layer.
[0025] The second recording medium layer preferably includes a
ferromagnetic thin film. At this time, the ferromagnetic thin film
preferably includes at least one of a soft magnetic metal, a hard
magnetic metal, and a ferromagnetic metal oxide that include at
least one of Ni, Co, Fe and Mn.
[0026] The recording medium may further include a third recording
medium layer. At this time, the third recording medium layer is
preferably positioned on the substrate side with respect to the
first and second recording medium layers. The third recording
medium layer is preferably made of a material with a function of
forming a circuit for magnetic flux for writing. Such material is
preferably a soft magnetic metal or a soft magnetic metal oxide
that includes at least one of Ni, Co, Fe and Mn.
[0027] The magnetic recording system disclosed in the present
application includes the device that applies electric field and the
device that applies magnetic field for simultaneously applying an
electric field and a magnetic field to the recording medium. The
simultaneous application of an electric field and a magnetic field
as described above means that a portion where an electric field and
a magnetic field are superimposed is transitorily formed in the
recording medium. For the formation of the superimposition portion
of an electric field and the magnetic field in the recording
medium, a method that a magnetic field is locally applied when an
electric field has already been applied, and a method that an
electric field is locally applied when a magnetic field has already
been applied, are described as examples.
[0028] There are several variations of such combination of the
electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device, from which the combination can be selected. Typical
embodiments of the variations are described as examples.
[0029] A common characteristic is a switching function that the
recording head switches an electric field and/or a magnetic field.
The recording head switches an electric field and/or a magnetic
field so as to switch a state where an electric field and a
magnetic field applied to the recording medium are almost parallel
and a state where the electric field and the magnetic field are
almost antiparallel with each other. By this switching function,
various magnetic states are recorded in the ferromagnetic layer of
the recording medium.
[0030] Therefore, the recording head includes the electric field
applying device and/or the magnetic applying device. The electric
field applying device has the function of spatially limiting and
applying an electric field, and the magnetic field applying device
has the function of spatially limiting and applying a magnetic
field. At this time, the magnetic field applying device of the
recording head may be a permanent magnetic. And the magnetic field
applying device of the recording head may have a structure formed
with a coil for flowing a current and a yoke (magnetic needle) for
focusing magnetic flux.
[0031] (1) The recording head may be a type that includes both the
electric field applying device and the magnetic field applying
device. The electric field applying device may be formed with an
electrode formed in the recording head, a power source connected
between the electrode and the recording medium, and a ground
connected to the recording medium. The third recording medium layer
may be used as an electrode connected to the recording medium when
the recording medium includes the third recording medium as
described above.
[0032] (2) A form where the recording head includes the magnetic
field applying device and the recording medium includes the
electric field applying device may be applicable. When the
recording medium includes the third recording medium layer as
described above, the third recording medium layer may be used as
the electric field applying device. At this time, the electric
field applying device may be formed with an electrode connected to
the second recording medium layer, an electrode connected to the
third recording medium layer, a power source connected between the
electrodes, and a ground connected to one of the electrodes.
[0033] According to the magnetic recording system of the present
application, a region to which magnetic data is written is a region
to which an electric field and a magnetic field are applied in a
superimposition manner. The region is a region where an exchange
bias of the antiferromagnetic layer is reversed, and the
magnetization reversal phenomenon of the ferromagnetic layer is
concentrated in this region and is substantially limited. This is
because the magnetization reversal due to the ME effect may be
operatable independently of the size of crystal grains of the
ferromagnetic layer. As a result, magnetic data recording
independently of the size and shape of the crystal grains of the
ferromagnetic crystal configuring the recording medium becomes
possible. In this case, as the necessity for making the crystal
grains more minute is decreased, it becomes possible to realize
high density recording without losing thermal stability of the
ferromagnetic crystals (without changing to superparamagnetism).
Specifically, the followings are described.
[0034] (i) It becomes possible to perform magnetic recording to a
region that is smaller than the crystal grain size of the
ferromagnetic material configuring the magnetic recording medium.
Specifically, it becomes possible to write two or more magnetic
data in one piece of the ferromagnetic crystal.
[0035] (ii) Even when a writing region exists covering over two or
more ferromagnetic crystals, it becomes possible to form a
recording bit in a preferred region independently of the existence
of grain boundaries.
[0036] (iii) Because writing is performed by applying an electric
field and a magnetic field, it becomes possible to suppress energy
loss due to Joule heat. Therefore, energy saving of recording
energy is realized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1A shows a schematic structure view of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3,
which is an antiferromagnetic oxide. FIG. 1B is a schematic view
showing two antiferromagnetic states that Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 can take
(Type 1 and Type 2). FIG. 1C is a schematic view describing the
relationship of free energy of the two antiferromagnetic states
(Type 1 and Type 2).
[0038] FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of a conventional
recording method.
[0039] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a configuration of the present
application.
[0040] FIGS. 4A to 4C are schematic views of a recording method of
the present application.
[0041] FIGS. 5A to 5K are schematic views showing forms that a
recording medium layer 1 may take.
[0042] FIGS. 6A to 6D show four applying models of a magnetic field
and an electrical field.
[0043] FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views showing typical basic
configurations of a ME recording head.
[0044] FIGS. 8A to 8C show embodiments of a tip end part of a
recording pole.
[0045] FIGS. 9A to 9C show embodiments of the tip end part of the
recording pole.
[0046] FIGS. 10A and 10B show embodiments of the tip end part of
the recording pole.
[0047] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a portion of a data
recording system according to a first example.
[0048] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing magnetic data recording
according to the first example.
[0049] FIG. 13A is a topographic image of a simulated recording
medium according to the first example by an atomic force microscope
(AFM); and FIGS. 13B and 13C are magnetic images of the simulated
recording medium according to the first example by a magnetic force
microscopy (MFM).
[0050] FIGS. 14A and 14B show the evaluation results of temperature
dependency of exchange bias according to a second example.
[0051] FIGS. 15A to 15F show embodiments for applying a narrow
magnetic field to a wide electric field.
[0052] FIGS. 16A and 16B show embodiments for applying a wide
magnetic field to a narrow electric field.
[0053] FIGS. 17A and 17B show embodiments for forming a
superimposition region by making a wide electric field and magnetic
field overlap each other.
[0054] FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a movement mechanism of a
recording head.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0055] The present invention provides (a) a magnetic recording
device that realizes an arbitrary recording shape/area regardless
of the shape of crystalline grains of a ferromagnetic material and
achieves the higher density of magnetic data, and (b) a magnetic
recording system using the magnetic recording system.
[0056] (Overall Configuration and Principle of Writing and
Reading)
[0057] The magnetic recording device according to the present
application is schematically explained using FIG. 3. Main
configurations of the present application are a recording medium 1
that records magnetic data using ME effect, a magnetic field
applying device 2 that applies a magnetic field to the recording
medium 1, and an electric field applying device 3 that applies an
electric field. The recording medium 1 has a first recording medium
layer 101 that includes an antiferromagnetic layer having the ME
effect and a second recording medium layer 102 that includes a
ferromagnetic layer that exchange-couples to the antiferromagnetic
layer. The electric field applying device 3 has two electrodes 31
and 32. When the two recording medium layers 101 and 102 are
arranged between the two electrodes 31 and 32, the electric
applying device 3 applies a predetermined electric field to the
recording medium.
[0058] In FIG. 3, a region where a magnetic field 25 emitted from
the magnetic field applying device 2 and an electric field 35
formed in the electric field applying device 3 is illustrated as a
superimposition region 45. When predetermined electric field and
magnetic field are given, an antiferromagnetic state of the
recording medium layer 101 existing in the superimposition region
45 changes due to the ME effect. FIG. 3 shows a state where only an
antiferromagnetic state of the fifth cell out of first through
seventh cells has changed. The antiferromagnetic state changes in a
micro level in the cells. However, because entire magnetic moments
in the recording medium layer 101 cancel out each other and the
layer does not have actual magnetization, it is impossible to read
the antiferromagnetic state from external. Therefore, in the
present application, the recording medium layer 102 configured of a
ferromagnetic material that is capable of exchange-coupling to an
antiferromagnetic layer is arranged in the vicinity of the first
recording medium layer 101, and the antiferromagnetic state of the
recording medium layer 101 is reflected to the recording medium
layer 102. Thereby, the reading becomes possible. Referring to FIG.
3, the magnetization directions of the first through seventh cells
except for the fifth cell in the recording medium layer 102 are
upward, but the magnetization direction of the fifth cell is
downward corresponding to the antiferromagnetic state of the
antiferromagnetic layer. From these situations, the reading device
that reads magnetic data becomes capable of reading magnetic data
recorded in the recording medium layer 101 from the magnetization
directions of the recording medium layer 102. In other words, in
the present application, the first recording medium layer 101 is
the layer to which magnetization data is written, and the second
recording medium layer 102 is the layer from which magnetization
data is read. Note, as long as exchange-coupling between the first
and second recording medium layers is maintained, it is possible to
provide another layer therebetween. In FIG. 3, the magnetic field
25 and electric field 35 to be applied are not completely in
parallel, and the magnetic field 25 and the electric field 35 may
be slightly inclined. It is not an issue as long as an
approximately parallel or approximately antiparallel state can be
formed under a situation where the ME effect is usable. The
recording medium layer 101 is arranged so as to move in the
superimposition region 45. By appropriately switching the magnetic
field and the electric field in the superimposition region as the
recording medium layer 101 moves, it becomes possible to
continuously record magnetic data to the recording medium layer
101.
[0059] (Recording Region)
[0060] In the present magnetic recording method, the direction of
recording magnetization in the magnetic recording medium layer is
controlled by simultaneously applying an electric field and a
magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium and operating the
relationship of the electric field and magnetic field to be applied
to be in approximately parallel or in approximately antiparallel.
At this point, magnetization reversal occurs only in the region
(superimposition region) to which the electric field and the
magnetic field are applied in the superimposition manner. This
phenomena occurs irrespective of the size of crystalline grains of
the ferromagnetic material and/or the existence of a grain
boundary, and realizes different directions of magnetizations in a
portion and another portion of a crystalline grain. The size and
width of the superimposition region is freely settable as long as
magnetization change can be recorded to the first recording medium
layer 101. In the perspective of increasing the recording density,
it is preferred to be minute to the extent possible. When an
antiferromagnetic material disclosed in the present specification
is used for the first recording medium layer 101, the
above-described width Ws (superimposition region width) should be
in a range of 1 nm-200 nm in the direction of a track width TW
(X-direction) of the recording medium. It is possible to specify
the superimposition region width by measuring the width of the
magnetization region (fifth of the layer 101 in FIG. 3) recorded in
the first recording medium or the cell (fifth of the layer 102) of
the second recording medium layer that exchange-couples to the
magnetization region. Note, it is also possible to specify the size
of the superimposition region by its area not its width. According
to the embodiment of the present application, the area is in a
range of 5 nm.sup.2-10,000 nm.sup.2.
[0061] FIG. 4A is a schematic view of a method of recording to a
single crystal grain. The figure shows a state where both a
magnetic field and an electric field are applied to one grain of a
ferromagnetic crystal. In the figure, the application is performed
in a parallel situation. A frame in the figure is a magnetization
region. According to the recording method, a magnetic region is not
determined by the size of crystalline grains and/or the presence of
a grain boundary. Only a center region of the grain is in the
magnetization region, and a fore region FR and a rear region RR,
which are respectively in a fore side and a rear side with respect
to the medium movement direction T, are not in the magnetization
region. Note, hereinafter in the present application, "magneto
electric recording (ME recording)" is defined as "a recording
method that operates a magnetization direction of a magnetic
recording medium by superimposing an electric field and a magnetic
field on each other to the magnetic recording medium to reverse one
of an electric field and a magnetic field." FIG. 4B is an imaginary
view of an actual medium surface, and a plurality of crystal grains
is arranged. In the recording method, because magnetization is not
performed by grains and a grain can be partially magnetized, one
magnetization region is formed when respective portions of the
plurality of grains are connected in an array. FIG. 4C is a view in
which a magnetization region is made even smaller. As illustrated
in the figure, by making a superimposition region even smaller, it
is possible to form one or more magnetization regions in one
crystal grain. In the figure, a width illustrated by two dotted
lines is a track width.
[0062] In a specific form of the present magnetic recording method,
a bias magnetic field and an external electric field, or a bias
electric field and an external magnetic field, are applied to a
disc surface of the magnetic recording medium with a ferromagnetic
layer/antiferromagnetic layer to form a superimposition region
where the electric field and the magnetic field are superimposed on
each other. Magnetic data is recorded to the magnetic recording
medium layer by arbitrarily controlling the direction of the
external electric field out of these so as to be almost
antiparallel to the bias magnetic field from being almost parallel
and by controlling the strength of the external electric field, or
by controlling the direction of the external magnetic field so as
to be almost antiparallel to the bias magnetic field from being
almost parallel and by controlling the strength of the external
magnetic field. In this method, only in the region where the
electric field and the magnetic field are superimposed on each
other, the direction of a recording magnetization can be
selectively controlled. At this time, a region in which a
magnetization can be operated can be formed irrespective of the
size of ferromagnetic crystalline grains configuring the recording
medium and/or the existence of a grain boundary, and also it is
possible to make the area of the superimposition region
sufficiently minute. When the superimposition area is smaller than
the area of a crystalline grain of the ferromagnetic material,
magnetic data can be recorded by causing reversal of a
magnetization only in a portion of the crystalline grain.
Originally, even when crystalline grains are minute to the degree
needed for the conventional recording technology, it is possible to
record different plural data of magnetic data in a crystalline
grain as laterally crossing the crystalline grain. Note,
"superimposition" in the present application means a state where
two regions completely correspond to each other, a state where two
regions partially cover each other, and a state where a region is
completely included by another region.
[0063] In order to efficiently perform the above-described ME
recording, it is assumed that a spacing between a tip end of a ME
recording head that faces the magnetic recording medium and a
movement most front surface of the magnetic recording medium is to
be 1 nm-50 nm.
[0064] Also, the present magnetic recording system includes (a) the
magnetic recording medium with which the ME recording can be highly
efficiently performed and (b) the ME recording head that can limit
a region of the magnetic recording medium where reversal of a
magnetization due to the ME effect occurs to a minute region that
is a nanometer-scale region.
[0065] (Magnetic Recording Medium 1)
[0066] A basic sectional structure of the magnetic recording medium
is illustrated in FIG. 5A. The magnetic recording medium 1 has at
least three elements: the recording medium layer 101 (may also be
referred to as the first recording medium layer) that is formed of
an antiferromagnetic insulator for saving magnetic data; the
recording medium layer 102 (may also be referred to as the second
recording medium layer) that is formed of a ferromagnetic material
(metal or insulator) for reading magnetic data written to the
recording medium layer 101; and the substrate 40. The recording
medium may further include a recording medium layer 103 (may be
also referred to as a third recording medium layer) that is made of
a soft magnetic material for forming a circuit of magnetic flux for
writing. In that case, the recording medium layer 103 exists on the
substrate side with respect to the recording medium layers 101 and
102.
[0067] (Recording Medium Layer 101)
[0068] The recording medium layer 101 has the function of writing
and recording magnetic data in response to superimposition of an
applied electric field and an applied magnetic field. In the
writing, magnetic data is recorded by applying an external electric
field in almost parallel.cndot.almost antiparallel to a bias
magnetic field whose direction is pinned in one direction and by
selecting an antiferromagnetic domain state of the
antiferromagnetic layer. Also, it is possible to apply an external
magnetic field in almost parallel.cndot.almost antiparallel to a
bias electric field whose direction is pinned in one direction.
[0069] Because data recorded to the antiferromagnetic layer does
not have magnetization as its entire magnetization region, it is
impossible to read the data in as-recorded state. However, because
the recording medium layer 102 made of the ferromagnetic material
is arranged adjacent to the recording medium layer 101 to grenerate
an exchange-coupling (exchange bias) between the two layers,
magnetic data in the recording medium layer 101 made of the
antiferromagnetic material is transferred to the recording medium
layer 102 by changing the magnetization direction of the recording
medium layer 102, and therefore it becomes possible to read the
recorded magnetic data.
[0070] For the recording medium layer 101, a material having such
function can be arbitrarily selected and used. At this point, the
recording medium layer 101 may include an antiferromagnetic
material with even higher Neel temperature not having the ME effect
in addition to an antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect
or a ferrimagnetic material having the ME effect. As a result, the
strength and the thermal stability of the exchange-coupling
(exchange bias) existing between the recording medium layer 101 and
the recording medium layer 102 can be increased.
[0071] The recording medium layer 101 may take various
configurations. The various configurations are illustrated in FIGS.
5B-5G. The recording medium layer 101 may be made of, for example,
(a) a thin film including at least one of an antiferromagnetic
oxide having the ME effect such as .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3,
YMnO.sub.3, BiFeO.sub.3, and a ferrimagnetic oxide having the ME
effect such as Ga.sub.1-xAl.sub.xFeO.sub.3(0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1)
(see FIG. 5B), or (b) a mixed crystal whose primary composition is
at least one of an antiferromagnetic oxide having the ME effect
such as .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, YMnO.sub.3, BiFeO.sub.3, and a
ferrimagnetic oxide having the ME effect such as
Ga.sub.1-xAl.sub.xFeO.sub.3(0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1) (see FIG. 5C).
Also, (c) a lamination structure (see FIG. 5D) and a mixture
structure are applicable that are made of at least one of the
antiferromagnetic oxide having the ME effect and the ferrimagnetic
oxide having the ME effect, which are described in the (a) and (b)
above, and an antiferromagnetic material with Neel temperature
higher than that of the antiferromagnetic oxide and the
ferrimagnetic oxide having the ME effect. Horizontal lines of FIG.
5D illustrate a layer state where Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 and
Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 are alternately stacked each other. For the
antiferromagnetic material, a known antiferromagnetic material
whose Neel temperature is high can be arbitrarily selected and
used. Typically, an antiferromagnetic oxide such as NiO,
Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, (1-x)Fe.sub.2O.sub.3-xRh.sub.2O.sub.3,
(1-x)Fe.sub.2O.sub.3-xRuO.sub.2, and
(1-x)Fe.sub.2O.sub.3-xIrI.sub.2 (0<x<1), and an
antiferromagnetic metal such as IrMn, FeMn, and PtMn can be
used.
[0072] In the recording medium layer 101, in addition to the
material layer of the above-described (a)-(c), a metal
ferromagnetic layer and another antiferromagnetic layer may be
further provided so as to be adjacent to the material layer. For
example, on a side that is adjacent to the recording medium layer
101 and is not adjacent to the recording medium layer 102, the
metal ferromagnetic layer and the another antiferromagnetic layer
may be provided. For example, for the ferromagnetic metal layer, a
CoFe alloy, a NiFe alloy, a CoFeB alloy, a ferromagnetic multilayer
that is made by laminating these alloys, and a ferromagnetic
multilayer that is made by depositing Cr or Pt having 2 nm or less
on these ferromagnetic layers can be used. The another
antiferromagnetic layer may be made of a metallic antiferromagnetic
material. For example, IrMn, FeMn, PtMn, and the like can be used
(see FIGS. 5E-5G). The metallic antiferromagnetic layer may have a
thickness of about 1-10 nm. With such structure, the recording
medium layer 101 can be thermally stabilized. In FIGS. 5A-5G,
positions at which the recording medium layer 102 may be positioned
are illustrated with broken lines. The substrate is arranged on the
lower side with respect to the recording medium layer 101 in the
figures.
[0073] The recording medium layer 101 may have a thickness of about
1 nm-1 .mu.m.
[0074] (Recording Medium Layer 102)
[0075] The recording medium layer 102 has the function of
generating a magnetic field for reading magnetic data written to
the recording medium layer 101. For the ferromagnetic material of
the recording medium layer, a hard magnetic metallic alloy or a
hard magnetic ordered alloy can be arbitrarily selected and used.
Typically, CoPt, FePt, and an alloy thereof are preferably used.
Especially, CoCrPt system and CoCrPtB system can be used. In CoCrPt
system, Co--Cr--Pt (in which the Cr content is 14-24 at %, the Pt
content is 8-22 at %, and the remaining is Co) is preferable. In
CoCrPtB system, Co--Cr--Pt--B (in which the Cr content is 10-24 at
%, the Pt content is 8-22 at %, the B content is 0-16 at %, and the
remaining is Co) is preferably. As other systems, in CoCrPtTa
system, Co--Cr--Pt--Ta (in which the Cr content is 10-24 at %, the
Pt content is 8-22 at %, the Ta content is 1-5 at %, and the
remaining is Co); and in CoCrPtTaB system, Co--Cr--Pt--Ta--B (in
which the Cr content is 10-24 at %, the Pt content is 8-22 at %,
the Ta content is 1-5 at %, and the B content is 1-10 at %, and the
remaining is Co) may be used. Also, CoCrPtBNd system, CoCrPtTaNd
system, CoCrPtNb system, CoCrPtBW system, CoCrPtMo system,
CoCrPtCuRu system, CoCrPtRe system, FePtRh system, and a multilayer
system of ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic and ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic
system such as Co/Fe, Co/Pt, Co/Pd, etc. may be arbitrarily
selected and used. The entire of the recording medium layer 102 may
be a thickness of about 1-10 nm.
[0076] For the recording medium layer 102, an arbitrary soft
magnetic material may be used as well. The soft magnetic material
may be either amorphous or fine crystal. As the soft magnetic
material used for the recording medium layer 102, a soft magnetic
material with a larger saturation magnetic flux density Bs is
preferable. As the soft magnetic material, a known material that
shows a soft magnetic characteristic with small coercive force may
be arbitrarily selected and used. For example, a cobalt based alloy
such as CoTaZr, etc.; a Co--Fe alloy such as CoFe, CoFeB, CoCrFeB,
FeCoN, FeCoTaZr, CoFeZrNb, etc.; a Ni--Fe alloy such as NiFe, a
multilayer structure of [Ni--Fe/Sn]n, FeNiMo, FeNiCr, FeNiSi, etc.;
a Co--Fe alloy such as FeCo, FeCoV, etc.; a Cr--Fe alloy such as
FeCr, FeCrTi, FeCrCu, etc.; a Ta--Fe alloy such as FeTa, FeTaC,
FeTaN, etc.; a FeAl alloy such as FeAlSi, FeAl, FeAlSiCr,
FeAlSiTiRu, FeAlO, etc.; a FeMg alloy such as FeMgO, etc.; a FeZr
alloy such as FeZrN, etc.; a FeC alloy; a FeN alloy; a FeSi alloy;
a FeP alloy; a FeNb alloy; a FeHf alloy; a FeB alloy; Fe; MnZn;
etc., can be used alone, or two or more types of them can be
combined and used. Also, a Co based amorphous alloy that contains
80 or more at % Co and at least one of Zr, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, etc. can
be used.
[0077] Also, the recording medium layer 102 may be a multilayer
film made of the above-described hard magnetic material and soft
magnetic material, or a graded composition film.
[0078] For the recording medium layer 102, an arbitrary oxide
magnetic material may be used as well. The oxide magnetic material
can be the one having insulation property or the one with electric
conductivity. For the oxide magnetic material, a known material
that shows a soft magnetic characteristic with small coercive force
may be arbitrarily selected and used.
[0079] Typically,
.gamma.-Fe.sub.2-xCr.sub.xO.sub.3(0.ltoreq.x<1),
AFe.sub.2O.sub.3 {A=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn}, RFe.sub.5O.sub.12 {R=rare
earth element}, Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, CrO.sub.2, and the like can be
individually used, and also two or more of them can be combined and
used.
[0080] Furthermore, the recording medium layer 102 of the magnetic
recording medium may be a recording layer used for a perpendicular
magnetic recording medium in an exchange-coupled composite (ECC)
system. The recording layer has recording layers made of two
magnetic layers (hard layer and soft layer) with different coercive
force and an exchange-coupling control layer that couples the
magnetic layers to each other. For example, a recording layer
(upper hard layer) with large coercive force is provided as an
upper layer and a layer (lower soft layer) with relatively small
coercive force is provided as a lower layer. Then, the upper hard
layer and the lower soft layer are coupled to each other by the
exchange-coupling control layer with a structure of a conductive
thin film. For the upper hard layer, a granular film that is made
by simultaneously sputtering a low coercive force alloy of Co--Cr
system and a nonmagnetic material such as SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2,
etc. can be used. For the lower soft layer, a metal film such as
Ni--Fe, etc., or the granular film of Co--Cr system, which is the
same as that for the upper hard layer, can be used. For the
exchange-coupling control layer, a Ru thin film or Co thin films
can be used. By adjusting a film thickness of the exchange coupling
control layer, a magnetic coupling between the upper hard layer and
the lower soft layer can be adjusted.
[0081] In the magnetic recording medium, electric resistance of the
recording medium layer 102 sometimes needs to be high. That is
because it is expected that a current in a plane direction may be
generated in the recording medium layer 102 because the magnetic
recording system is characterized by applying an electric field to
the magnetic recording medium. In the recording medium layer 102,
it is possible to arbitrarily select a structure and a material
according to the electric characteristic. The following structures
are given as examples.
[0082] When the magnetic recording medium has a structure in which
the recording medium layer 103/recording medium layer 101/recording
medium layer 102 are laminated in this order in a perpendicular
direction from the disc surface of the recording medium layer and
the ferromagnetic layer (recording medium layer 102) is made of a
material with high resistance at which an electric field necessary
for ME recording is not prevented from focusing, or when it is
unnecessary to regard the diffusion of the electric field as an
issue because of the structure of the magnetic recording system, it
is allowed to make the recording medium layer 102 of a single
material.
[0083] When it is necessary to increase the electric resistance of
the ferromagnetic layer (recording medium layer 102), it is
possible to disperse fine insulator grains. As an insulator
material, for example, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5,
Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2 etc. as an oxide,
and AlN, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, TaN, CrN, etc. as a nitride, and TaC, BC,
SiC, etc. as a carbide are usable. Also, organic fine grains such
as polyethylene may be used.
[0084] When it is necessary to increase electric resistance of the
ferromagnetic layer (recording medium layer 102), the ferromagnetic
layer may be configured to have a so-called granular structure. For
example, the recording medium layer 102 may be a ferromagnetic
layer including a granular structure in which a grain boundary is
made by segregating a nonmagnetic material around magnetic grains
of a hard magnetic material selected from a Co based alloy, a Fe
based alloy, and a Ni based alloy. As the nonmagnetic material, an
oxide such as SiO.sub.2, Ru--SiO.sub.2, Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2,
Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, B.sub.2O.sub.3, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, etc., a nitride
such as Si.sub.3N.sub.4, BN, etc., or a carbide such as TaC,
B.sub.4C.sub.3, etc., is preferably used. Specifically, as
examples, CoCr--SiO.sub.2, CoCr--TiO.sub.2, CoCr--Cr.sub.2O.sub.3,
CoCrPt--Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, Ru--SiO.sub.2, Ru--Si.sub.3N.sub.4,
Pd--TaC, etc. are given. At this time, an under layer may be
provided to make a crystal of the recording medium layer 102 with
an excellent orientation as the granular structure. For example,
when the recording medium layer 102 has a hep structure of Co
system, as an under layer of the recording medium layer 102, Pt,
Ru, RuCr, or RuCo may be provided.
[0085] It is preferred that the contents of the above-described
insulator grains and nonmagnetic base material are respectively 1
mol % or more and 18 mol % or less with respect to the total amount
of the magnetic material. Further preferably, they are respectively
6 mol % or more and 15 mol % or less. When the content of the
insulator grain or the nonmagnetic base material exceeds the
above-described range, the orientation and crystallinity of the
magnetic material tend to deteriorate. When the contents are less
than the above-described range, diffusion of the electric field and
noise during recording and reproducing tend to increase because
separation of the magnetic material is insufficient.
[0086] (Recording Medium Layer 103)
[0087] The present magnetic recording medium of the present
embodiment has a soft magnetic layer as the recording medium layer
103. In the conventional perpendicular magnetic recording system, a
soft magnetic layer is a layer that temporarily forms a magnetic
circuit during recording. In the perpendicular recording system, a
single pole type perpendicular head is used to generate a magnetic
field in a perpendicular direction to a magnetic recording layer.
However, when only the single pole type magnetic head is simply
used, it is impossible to apply a magnetic field with sufficient
intensity to the magnetic recording layer because a magnetic flux
exiting from an end part of the single pole tends to immediately
return to a return pole on its opposite side. In order to solve
this, a soft magnetic layer is provided under the magnetic
recording layer of the perpendicular magnetic recording disk to
form a magnetic path for a magnetic flux in the soft magnetic
layer, and thereby it is possible to apply an intense magnetic
field in the perpendicular direction to the magnetic recording
layer. The present magnetic recording method has a characteristic
of combination of applying a magnetic field and applying an
electric field, so that it is preferred to configure a magnetic
path in the same way as the perpendicular magnetic recording
system. Specifically, a soft magnetic under layer made of a soft
magnetic material is provided on a substrate side with respect to
the recording medium layers 101 and 102 to configure a magnetic
path that makes a magnetic flux return to the ME recording
head.
[0088] An extremely different point of the present magnetic
recording medium from the medium of the conventional perpendicular
magnetic recording system is that the new magnetic recording medium
may receive an applied electric field from the ME recording head.
In order to generate an electric field between the ME recording
head and the recording medium layer 101 or between the ME recording
head and the recording medium layer 102, an electrode layer at
ground potential, which is to be a counter electrode, is needed.
When the recording medium layer 103 is set to have the ground
potential and used as an electrode layer, this requirement is met.
Needless to say, an electrode layer at ground potential may be
formed independently from the recording medium layer 103, and the
substrate itself may be kept at ground potential as an inductive
material. In such case, the recording medium layer 103 is primarily
required to function as a magnetic circuit.
[0089] The recording medium layer 103 is configured of an arbitrary
soft magnetic material with low electric resistance. The soft
magnetic material may be either amorphous or fine crystal. A film
thickness thereof is about 50 nm-2 .mu.m. It is preferred that the
recording medium layer 103 has a larger value of a product of its
saturation magnetic flux density Bs and the film thickness. As the
soft magnetic material, a known material that shows a soft magnetic
characteristic with small coercive force may be arbitrarily
selected and used. For example, a cobalt system alloy such as
CoTaZr, etc.; a Co--Fe system alloy such as CoFeB, CoCrFeB, FeCoN,
FeCoTaZr, CoFeZrNb, etc.; a Ni--Fe system alloy such as NiFe, a
multilayer structure of [Ni--Fe/Sn]n, FeNiMo, FeNiCr, FeNiSi, etc.;
a Co--Fe system alloy such as FeCo, FeCoV, etc.; a Cr--Fe system
alloy such as FeCr, FeCrTi, FeCrCu, etc.; a Ta--Fe system alloy
such as FeTa, FeTaC, FeTaN, etc.; a FeAl system alloy such as
FeAlSi, FeAl, FeAlSiCr, FeAlSiTiRu, FeAlO, etc.; a FeMg system
alloy such as FeMgO, etc.; a FeZr system alloy such as FeZrN, etc.;
a FeC system alloy; a FeN system alloy; a FeSi system alloy; a FeP
system alloy; a FeNb system alloy; a FeHf system alloy; a FeB
system alloy; Fe; MnZn; etc., can be used alone, or two or more
types of them can be combined and used. Also, a Co alloy that
contains 80 or more at % Co and at least one of Zr, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo,
etc., and has an amorphous structure can be used. Especially, as a
soft magnetic material whose saturation magnetic flux density Bs is
1.0 T or more, it is preferred to use FeSi, FeAlSi, FeTaC, CoZrNb,
CoCrNb, NiFeNb, Co, etc.
[0090] Also, the recording medium layer 103 may be formed with two
layers and have a structure in which a nonmagnetic spacer layer is
positioned between the upper soft magnetic layer and the lower soft
magnetic layer. For example, by disposing a spacer layer made of
ruthenium (Ru), it is possible to configure the soft magnetic
layers with antiferro-magnetic exchange-coupling (AFC). Therefore,
it becomes possible to orient the magnetic directions of the soft
magnetic layers along the magnetic path (magnetic circuit) in high
accuracy. In this case, because the vertical component of the
magnetic direction is extremely small, it is possible to reduce
noise generated by the soft magnetic layers.
[0091] (Electrode Layer 32)
[0092] It is necessary for the present magnetic recording medium to
have an electrical ground because applying an electric field is one
of its characteristics. In this case, a ground end is provided in a
center part of the magnetic recording medium to have electric
contact with a rotation shaft (spindle). The electrical ground can
be easily realized by creating another electric contact between the
ground end and either the recording medium layer 103, an
arbitrarily added electrode layer, or the conductive substrate.
Also, a mechanism for removing or reducing noise from the ground
end may be provided as needed. In the present example, the
electrode layer 32 is a portion of the recording medium 1, and also
configures one of a pair of electrodes of the electric field
applying device.
[0093] (Arrangement of Recording Medium Layers 101-103)
[0094] In the embodiment of the present application, it is possible
to arrange the recording medium layers 101-103 in various ways. The
recording medium layer 101 and the recording medium layer 102 are
laminated in an orientation toward the recording surface side with
respect to the recording medium layer 103. In the figures, the
upper side is the recording surface side and the lower side is the
substrate side. The recording medium layer 101 and the recording
medium layer 102 may be laminated in either an order of recording
medium layer 101/recording medium layer 102 (see FIG. 5H) or an
order of recording medium layer 102/recording medium layer 101 from
the recording surface side of the magnetic recording medium (see
FIG. 5J). Also, when the recording medium layer 102 is provided on
the side of the recording medium layer 103, an insulator may be
provided between the recording medium layers 102 and 103 (see FIG.
5K). A junction layer may be arbitrarily provided between both of
them.
[0095] The present magnetic recording medium may be configured by
combining the above-described recording medium layers 101 through
103 with another configuration member(s).
[0096] (Substrate 40)
[0097] As the substrate 40 of the magnetic recording medium, a
metal substrate made of a metal material such as aluminum, an
aluminum alloy, etc. and also a nonmetal substrate made of a
nonmetal material such as glass, ceramic, silicon, silicon carbide,
carbon, etc. may be used. As a glass substrate, amorphous glass and
crystallized glass can be used, and a conventional soda-lime glass
and aluminosilicate glass can be used as the amorphous glass. Also
as the crystallized glass, a lithium-system crystallized glass can
be used. As a ceramic substrate, a sintered compact whose primary
component is a conventional aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride,
silicon nitride, etc., and fiber reinforced materials of these are
usable. Also, a substrate with a NiP layer or a NiP alloy layer on
the surface of the substrate, which are formed using a plating
method or a sputtering method, can be used.
[0098] Herein, the substrate 40 preferably has an average surface
roughness Ra of 2 nm (20 .ANG.) or less, or further preferably 1 nm
or less. The surface of the substrate preferably has a
micro-waviness (Wa) of 0.3 nm or less (further preferably, 0.25 nm
or less). Such value ranges are preferable from the perspective of
making the magnetic recording head fly low. Note, the
micro-waviness (Wa) of the surface is a value measured using a
stylus type surface average roughness measuring instrument in a
measurement range of 100 .mu.m.
[0099] (Other Configurations of Magnetic Recording Medium)
[0100] In the present magnetic recording medium, a surface
protective layer or a surface lubricant layer, which are used in a
conventional magnetic recording medium, can be used. The surface
protective layer is for preventing erosion of the recording medium
layers 101, 102 and also for preventing defects of the medium
surface when the ME recording head contacts the medium. A
conventionally-known material can be used, and for example a
material containing diamond like carbon (DLC), amorphous Si,
SiO.sub.2, and ZrO.sub.2 can be arbitrarily used. From the
perspective of high recording density, the thickness of the surface
protective layer is preferably 1-10 nm because the distance between
the magnetic recording head and the magnetic recording medium can
be made small. The surface lubricant layer can be formed by
applying lubricant such as perfluoropolyether, fluorinated alcohol,
fluorinated carboxylic acid, etc. The surface protective layer and
the surface lubricant layer may be made of a material with
anisotropy in electrical conductivity. Also, the surface protective
layer and the surface lubricant layer may be formed from a material
with a large permittivity.
[0101] (ME Recording Head)
[0102] The ME recording head can limit a region in the magnetic
recording medium where reversal of a magnetization due to the ME
effect occurs to a minute region that is a nanometer-scale region.
The ME recording head may be manufactured by applying a
conventional technology as long as, in order to make a region where
an electric field and a magnetic field are superimposed on each
other minute, it has at least one of structures: i) a structure
that allows an electric field to be locally focused and applied;
ii) a structure that allows a magnetic field to be locally focused
and applied; iii) a structure that allows both the electric field
and magnetic field to be locally focused and applied; and iv) a
structure that allows the electric field and magnetic field to
partially overlap each other to form a minute superimposition
region. The above-describe four types of superimposition regions
are illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6D. FIG. 6A illustrates a
superimposition region formed by applying an electric field E
focused to a minimum region in a widely applied magnetic field H.
In this case, the superimposition region corresponds to the
electric field E. FIG. 6B illustrates a superimposition region
formed by applying a magnetic field H focused to a minimum region
in a widely applied electric field E. In this case, the
superimposition region corresponds to the magnetic field H. FIG. 6C
illustrates one in which a focused magnetic field and a focused
electric field overlap each other. In this case, the
superimposition region corresponds to the region of the magnetic
field H and the electric field E. FIG. 6D illustrates a minute
superimposition region formed by making widely applied magnetic
field H and electric field E partially overlap each other.
[0103] Typical basic configurations of the ME recording head are
illustrated by Model I and II in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
[0104] (Model I)
[0105] The Model I is realized by adding a structure that allows an
electric field and a bias magnetic field to be applied to a minute
region to the conventionally-used perpendicular magnetic recording
head. The magnetic recording head according to the Model I has at
least a E-H pole 201a (or yoke), an inductor 202, a return path
layer 203a, a read element 204, and a shield layer 205. For the
inductor 202, the return path layer 203a, the read element 204, and
the shield layer 205, a configuration of the conventional
perpendicular magnetic recording head may be used without changing
anything. An arrow E in the figure shows an electric field emitting
from the E-H pole 201a. An arrow H shows a state where magnetic
flux due to a magnetic field formed by the E-H pole 201a and the
return path layer 203a emits from the E-H pole 201a, passes through
the recording medium, and then returns to the return path layer
203a. The inductor 202 is formed in a coil shape, and the magnetic
field to emit from the E-H pole 201a is formed by making a current
flow in this coil. Also, the direction of an emitting magnetic
field, which is plus or minus, is defined by the direction of the
current.
[0106] It is necessary for the E-H pole 201a to (a) be made of a
material that functions as a magnetic core, (b) have a structure of
being connected with a terminal for applying electric field, and
also in the present embodiment the E-H pole 201a further has (c) a
structure that focuses an electric field and a magnetic field to a
minute region. This is the model illustrated in FIG. 6C. Out of
these, (a) can be realized by diverting a material of the
conventional recording head. The material is preferably a magnetic
material with extremely high Bs and high .mu., and also the
material needs to have electrical conductivity for simultaneously
applying electric field. For example, a film made of NiFe, CoFeNi,
CoFe, FeN, or FeZrN, etc. is preferably used. These materials are
formed using a sputtering method, a pattern plating method
including a frame plating method, etc., and can be arbitrarily
processed. Also, (b) is realized by adding a proper wiring
structure to the magnetic recording head.
[0107] The above-described (c) can be realized by processing the
shape of the recording head to have a shape that is sharp toward
the direction of the magnetic recording medium. As a result, the
function of spatially limiting and applying the magnetic field and
electric field is realized. In such case, a tip end of the E-H pole
201a is realized by a method of processing the tip to have a
curvature corresponding to the size of a desired electric
field-magnetic field superimposition surface. For example, the E-H
pole 201a may be processed by a technology of photolithography. In
the process of the E-H pole 201a, a sharp nano-stylus may be
obtained by applying a nano fabrication technique which is often
utilized for a nano-probe fabrication of a scanning probe
microscopy (SPM) such as a focused ion beam (FIB) technology. Even
in the probe process technology, it is effective to apply a method
of attaching a carbon nanotube to the tip end. It is because
applying an electric field is efficiently performed due to the high
conductivity of the carbon nanotube. Also, when the carbon nanotube
is used, it is possible to make the diameter of the tip end of the
E-H pole 201a more minute so as to be about 10 nm. In such case,
the carbon nanotube may be coated with a thin film by a technology
such as a sputtering method. The pole thin film lac may be coated
by about 1-50 nm. The pole thin film lac is made of a material
(such as NiFe, CoFeNi, CoFe, FeN, FeZrN, etc.) that has the same
characteristic as that of the E-H pole 201a. According to the
configuration, the applied magnetic field to the magnetic recording
medium tends to focus easily.
[0108] Also, in an attachment portion (supporting portion) of the
E-H pole 201a, a mechanism that performs a minute gap adjustment by
electric signals using a piezoelectric material 209 may be
provided. An electric field applied from the tip end of the E-H
pole 201a tends to slightly diffuse (enlarge). Therefore, a region
of an applied electric field necessary for the magnetic recording
tends to depend on the distance between the E-H pole 201a and the
magnetic recording medium. Therefore, when the gap adjustment
mechanism using the piezoelectric material is provided, there is a
tendency that an excellent state of the gap can be maintained.
[0109] (Model II)
[0110] The ME recording head is realized as a further simplified
structure in a Model II illustrated in FIG. 7B. In the Model II, a
E-H pole 201b is configured of a conductive permanent magnet, and
thereby a magnetic circuit is configured by a combination with a
return path layer 203b. Also in the Model II, it is necessary to
satisfy the requirements of the above-described (b). Especially as
the requirement corresponding to the above-described (a) and (b),
for example, a metal magnet thin film is preferably used as the
permanent magnet.
[0111] In the Model II, in the case when the read element has a
pinned layer, a magnetization direction (s) of the pinned layer and
the direction of a magnetic field of the E-H pole 201b preferably
correspond to each other. That has not only efficiency as a
production means but also a tendency that occurrence of a noise
magnetic field is suppressed.
[0112] (Common Configuration)
[0113] The type of the read element 204 is not limited in both
Model I and Model II. Elements can be used in which a magnetic
sensitive film that shows magnetoresistive effect such as, for
example, an anisotropy magnetoresistive effect (AMR) element, a
gigantic magnetoresistive effect (GMR) element, a tunnel
magnetoresistive effect (TMR) element, etc. is used. The GMR
element may be either a current in plane (CIP) type in which a
current for magnetic signal detection flows a direction almost
parallel with a surface of each layer configuring the GMR element,
or a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) type in which a current
for magnetic signal detection flows in a direction almost
perpendicular to the surface of each layer configuring the GMR
element.
[0114] The return path layers (203a and 203b) and the shield layer
205 prevent the read element 204 from receiving the effect of an
external magnetic field. The return path layers (203a and 203b)
have the function of collecting a magnetic flux from the magnetic
recording medium during writing. These return path layers (203a and
203b) and the shield layer 205 are preferably formed from a high
saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) material with a high magnetic
flux density. For example, NiFe, CoFeNi, CoFe, FeN, or FeZrN, etc.
can be used. A thin film made of these materials with a thickness
of about 0.1-3 .mu.m by a pattern plating method including a frame
plating method, etc. can be used. Note, because the shield layer
205 is common in Model I and Model 11, it is omitted from FIG.
7B.
[0115] (Tip Shape)
[0116] A shape of a tip part 201t of the E-H pole 201 is further
explained. FIGS. 8A-8C are enlarged views of the tip end part
201t.
[0117] FIG. 8A is a schematic view of the tip end part 201t of the
E-H pole 201 and the recording medium 1 to which magnetic data is
recorded. In this example, the tip end part 201t is in a home plate
shape, and its one angle is arranged toward the recording medium
1.
[0118] Further, the detail of the tip end part 201t is illustrated
in FIG. 8B and FIG. 8C. In FIG. 8B, the tip end part 201t is in a
square pyramid shape, and the minute tip end part is formed by
disposing an arbitrary taper in the tip end part. Note, FIG. 8B
shows a form that its tip end is chamfered. As a size thereof, when
a length q from the bottom part 201p to going upward is 1 nm, a
width w at a position 1 nm from the bottom part 201p should be in
the range of 0.4-80 nm. Herein, the direction of the width w
corresponds to the direction of the track width of the recording
medium 1. FIG. 8C shows a form that a carbon nanotube (CNT) is
attached to the bottom end 201p of the tip end part 201t. A size of
the CNT is preferably narrow. In the region 1 nm from the tip end,
a diameter d thereof should be in the range of 0.4-80 nm. It is
also possible to realize such minute tip end part by attaching a
narrow pillar through which a current flows. As a result of such
shapes, it is possible to suppress spread of applied electric field
or/and magnetic field and focus the electric field and magnetic
field to a narrow region.
[0119] (Other Tip End Shape)
[0120] As another tip end shape, a cone shape is also applicable as
illustrated in FIG. 9A. In such case, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, a
diameter d at a length q 1 nm from the tip end part 201t should be
a range of 0.4-80 nm. As illustrated in FIG. 9C, a form that a CNT
is attached to a tip end in a cone shape is also applicable.
Furthermore, a shape of a triangular pyramid whose tip end is not
chamfered as illustrated in FIG. 10A and a shape of a square
pyramid whose tip end is chamfered as illustrated in FIG. 10B are
also applicable.
[0121] (Other Examples of the Present Application)
[0122] As mentioned above, a form known as a hard disk drive can be
used as a form of the magnetic recording system to which the
present application is applicable. Also, it should be understood
that the present application is applicable to another type of data
recording device that is a device such as for example a probe
memory device.
[0123] Note, in the magnetic recording system of the present
application, it is possible to perform delete/overwrite of signals
in the same method as that of a conventional magnetic recording
system (so-called hard disk drive device). However, crosstalk of
remaining signals can be prevented by temporarily deleting signals
of the entire recording medium.
[0124] Hereinafter, one of the present application is explained as
a concrete example. Note, the present application is not limited
forms that are described below. Within the same and equivalent
scope of the present application, various changes may be made to
following embodiments.
Example 1
[0125] In Example 1, an example of a composite medium is shown. The
composite medium includes .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 as one of
antiferromagnetic thin films that show the ME effect and a metal
ferromagnetic thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy as
one of ferromagnetic thin films. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a
portion of a data recording system in Example 1. This system
includes the ME recording head 10 and the ME recording medium 1.
The ME recording head 10 includes the magnetic field applying part
2 and the electric field applying part 3. The ME recording medium 1
includes the first recording medium layer 101 including an
antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect, the second
recording medium layer 102 including a ferromagnetic material
adjacent to the first recording medium layer, the substrate 40, the
third recording medium layer 103 provided on the substrate 40 side
with respect to the first and second recording medium layers, and
the lower electrode layer 31. Also, another layer may be included
in the magnetic recording medium. When a desired growth texture
cannot be obtained in another method, a thin seed layer may be
included in the recording medium to form the preferred desired
growth texture.
[0126] A power source 50 is electrically connected between the
lower electrode 31 and the electric field applying part 12. By
applying voltage between the electric field applying part 12 and
the lower electrode 31 by the power source 50, an electric field
can be applied to the recording medium layer 101. Also, a magnetic
field can be applied in perpendicular to the film surface from the
magnetic field applying part 11 to the recording medium layer 101
in a manner of overlapping the electric field. The electric field
and magnetic field can be applied to the recording medium layer 101
in the relationship of almost parallel or almost antiparallel when
the direction of the electric field or the direction of the
magnetic field is switched. In the present application, it is
possible to form a superimposition region where an electric field
and a magnetic field overlap each other in a selectively/spatially
localized region on the recording medium when a combination of the
magnetic field applying part 2 and the electric field applying part
3 with the sharp electrode tip end is used.
[0127] In the case of switching an applied direction of the
magnetic field by 180.degree., a direction of a flowing current in
a coil is switched between plus (+) and minus (-) directions. The
coil is one element of the magnetic field applying part. For
switching an electric field direction by 180.degree., it is also
possible by switching a polarity of the applied electric field.
[0128] FIG. 12 schematically shows magnetic data recording using
magnetization switching phenomena by the ME effect according to
Example 1. In FIG. 12, the vertical axis shows the amount of
magnetization and the horizontal axis shows the strength of
magnetic field. Two multilayers each having two layers illustrated
in the upper left and lower right of the figure show a state where
the recording medium layers 101 and 102 are laminated. The narrow
arrows in the recording medium layer 101 show the orientations of
spins of electrons, and the thick arrow in the recording medium
layer 102 shows the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic
layer.
[0129] The recording medium layer 102 formed of the ferromagnetic
metal layer adjacent to .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 receives
unidirectional anisotropy or exchange bias from the
antiferromagnetic material via exchange-coupling. The exchange bias
reflects two relevant antiferromagnetic states that the
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 can have, and can have a positive or
negative value.
[0130] When an electric field and a magnetic field are
simultaneously applied from external to the
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3a having the ME effect, the two equivalent
states receive effect due to the ME effect, and one of the
antiferromagnetic states becomes more stable in energy than the
other one of the antiferromagnetic states depending on whether the
relationship between the applied electric field and magnetic field
is almost parallel or almost antiparallel. By the usage of the
above-described thing, a domain state of the antiferromagnetic
material can be actively controlled, and a magnetization state with
the adjacent recording medium layer 102 can be operated via the
exchange bias.
[0131] The recording medium layer 102 illustrated in the upper left
illustrates the receiving of upward (thus, a shift of MH-loop is
negative) exchange bias, and thus the magnetization is M1 when the
value of the magnetic field is zero. In contrast, when the
recording medium layer 102 illustrated in the lower right receives
downward (i.e. a positive shift in MH-loop) exchange bias, the
magnetization is M2 when the value of the magnetic field is
zero.
[0132] FIG. 13A is a topographic image in an atomic force
microscope (AFM) of a simulated recording medium formed on a
substrate. FIGS. 13B and 13C are magnetic images in a magnetic
force microscope (MFM). In the simulated recording medium, the
substrate 40 is a sapphire substrate; the lower electrode 31 is a
Pt layer; the recording medium layer 101 is an antiferromagnetic
oxide layer having the ME effect made from .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3;
and the recording medium layer 102 is a ferromagnetic metal layer
made of a CoPt alloy. In an actual magnetic recording medium, a
protective layer may be provided on the ME recording medium 1, but
description thereof is omitted because this is a known technology.
The lower electrode 31, the recording medium layer 101, the
recording medium layer 102, and the like may be formed by using an
arbitrary physical or chemical deposition process such as a
sputtering method, a pulsed laser deposition method, an ion-beam
deposition method (IBD), and a chemical vapor deposition
method.
[0133] (Manufacture of Magnetic Recording Medium)
[0134] Manufacture of the simulated recording medium used in
Example 1 is described below in detail.
[0135] On the surface of a c plane sapphire substrate with
step/terrace structure, a Pt (111) lower electrode layer 31 with a
thickness of 25 nm is formed by a radio frequency (RF) sputtering
method.
[0136] On the surface of the Pt (111) layer, an amorphous
Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 precursor layer is formed by an ion-beam deposition
method under an argon-oxygen atmosphere at room temperature.
[0137] First, heating is performed for three hours at 500.degree.
C. in a vacuum. Next, heating is performed for three hours at
700.degree. C. in an oxygen atmosphere. Then, a recording medium
layer 101 made of an .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 (101) thin film with a
thickness of 50 nm is formed.
[0138] A recording medium layer 102 made of a CoPt alloy (75% Co
content) ferromagnetic layer with a thickness of 3 nm is formed by
an ion-beam deposition (IBD) method under an argon atmosphere at
room temperature.
[0139] (Description of Image Figures)
[0140] FIG. 13A is a topographic image of the surface of a
simulated recording medium. FIGS. 13B and 13C show magnetic force
images before and after simultaneously applying an electric field
and a magnetic field at the same position. Furthermore, a dashed
line in the figure illustrates a region where the electric field
and the magnetic field are simultaneously applied. According to
FIG. 13C, it can be recognized that the directions of
magnetizations of the CoPt alloy in the region where the electric
field and the magnetic firled are simultaneously applied are
arranged in one direction. From the above-described thing, it is
recognized that magnetic data can be written only to a preferred
portion of the recording medium layer 101 due to ME recording
principle. Also, it is recognized that it is possible to read data
via the recording medium layer 102 made of the ferromagnetic
material magnetically connected to the recording medium layer 101
to which data is written. At this time, it is possible to arrange
the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic layer in the
preferred direction by selecting the direction of the
superimposition of the electric field.cndot.magnetic field.
[0141] Listed as characteristics that are preferable to the
recording medium 101 of the present application are a large
coupling coefficient of electric and magnetic properties, and
occurrence of sufficiently large exchange bias in a wide
temperature range. The characteristics can be obtained by usage of
a single material having the ME effect excellent in the
characteristics and can be obtained by usage of a composite
material that an antiferromagnetic material having the ME effect
and another antiferromagnetic material with even higher Neel
temperature are combined. In the composite material, a structure of
the material, a thickness of the layer, a magnetic property
(anisotropy energy and Neel temperature of the antiferromagnetic
material), and the like are adjustable so as to maximize the
exchange bias in a predetermined temperature range.
Example 2
[0142] In Example 2, an example of which the strength of
exchange-coupling and the temperature property in an operating
temperature range (300+50K) have been improved by manufacturing a
composite material in which an antiferromagnetic
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 layer having the ME effect and a normal
antiferromagnetic .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 layer are laminated. The
example is illustrated in FIG. 14A. Herein, .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3
has a corundum structure that is the same as that of
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, and is a material that doesn't have the ME
effect as with even higher Neel temperature. A combined one of both
of them with the most desired material property-structure as this
example can be preferably used for the recording medium layer
101.
[0143] FIG. 14A is data that shows the temperature dependency of
exchange bias when the lamination structure in which
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 and .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 are combined is
used for the recording medium layer 101. The vertical axis is the
measured exchange bias (Oe), the horizontal axis is the temperature
(K), and the region surrounded by the broken line is a supposed
operating temperature range. A manufacture method of Example 2 is
described below in detail. In the figure, (b), (c), (d), and (e)
are samples of which lamination thickness and lamination pattern of
the recording medium layer 101 have been changed. Thicknesses of
them are illustrated in FIG. 14B.
[0144] The substrate 40 is a c plane sapphire substrate, and the
recording medium layer 102 is a ferromagnetic metal layer made of a
CoPt alloy.
[0145] On the surface of the c plane sapphire substrate with
step/terrace structure, an .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 (001) layer is
formed by an RF sputtering method under an argon.cndot.oxygen
atmosphere (Ar:O.sub.2 flow ratio=15:15) at 0.3 Pa at 700.degree.
C. The thickness (X) of the layer is changed to be 0, 20, 40 and 80
nm.
[0146] On the surface of the .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 (001) layer,
an .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 (001) layer with a thickness of 10-50 nm
is formed by an RF sputtering method under an argon.cndot.oxygen
atmosphere (Ar:O.sub.2 flow ratio=28:2) at 0.3 Pa at 500.degree. C.
The recording medium layer 101 is formed of the
.alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 and the .alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3.
[0147] The recording medium layer 102 formed of a CoPt alloy (75%
Co content) ferromagnetic layer with a thickness of 3 nm is formed
by an ion-beam deposition (IBD) method under an argon atmosphere at
room temperature.
[0148] FIG. 14A also shows the result (a) of a case where only the
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 is formed on the c plane sapphire substrate
under the same condition. When the film thickness of the
underlaying .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 layer and the lamination
pattern are changed, the value of exchange coupling between the
.alpha.-Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 and the CoPt ferromagnetic layer changes.
It is recognized that the magnitude of exchange bias and the
thermal behavior in the operating temperature range can be adjusted
to be preferred. The configuration of the recording medium
described above is illustrated in FIG. 14B.
Other Embodiments
[0149] The present application is executable in various forms by
arbitrarily controlling an electric field and magnetic field. As
described above, there are four types of the control of the
magnetic field and electric field, which are illustrated in FIGS.
6A through 6D. Hereinafter, these embodiments are introduced.
[0150] (Wide Electric Field, Narrow Magnetic Field)
[0151] FIGS. 15A through 15F illustrate six models that form a
superimposition region by superimposing a narrow magnetic field in
a wide electric field.
[0152] (Constant Electric Field, Controlled Magnetic Field,
Convertible Pole)
[0153] FIG. 15A discloses a recording pole 10p and the recording
medium 1. The recording pole 10p is formed of an electromagnet, and
functions as the magnetic field applying device and also works as
the upper electrode. The lower electrode 31 is formed in the lower
side of the recording medium 1. The upper electrode and the lower
electrode 31 are electrically connected, and thereby the function
as the electric field applying device is obtained. A tip end 10t of
the recording pole 10p is formed such that its tip end is sharp to
narrow a magnetic field. In the example, the direction of the
applied electric field is constant (bias electric field). The
magnetic data is recorded to the recording medium 1 (specifically,
the first recording medium layer 101 in the recording medium 1) by
arbitrarily switching the applied magnetic field direction by
180.degree.. It is also possible to operate the recording by
changing the direction of the applied electric field with the fixed
magnetic field. Therefore, in the recording pole 10p, a control
power source 50 that is capable of controlling an applied electric
field directions (plus and minus) is provided. With the control
power source 50, a switching function is realized. The switching
function switches the electric field and/or magnetic field so as to
alternately switch a state where the electric field and magnetic
field that are applied to the recording medium are almost parallel
and a state where the electric field and magnetic field are almost
antiparallel. Note, as a part of the magnetic field applying
device, an inductor 202 for forming a magnetic field is provided,
and a reading element 204 for reading magnetic data of the
recording medium 1 is further provided. From the upper side of the
recording medium 1, the second recording medium layer 102, the
first recording medium layer 101, and the third recording medium
layer 103 are provided. The substrate under them is omitted from
the drawing. The third recording medium layer 103 also functions as
the lower electrode 31, and is electrically connected to the
recording pole 10p working as the upper electrode.
[0154] (Ring Shaped Electrode)
[0155] FIG. 15B discloses a model that controls the magnetic field
but widely applies the electric field in the same manner as in FIG.
15A. The difference is that the structure of the electric field
applying device is realized by a ring shaped electrode, not by the
recording pole 10p. In the present embodiment, the recording pole
10p functions only as the magnetic field applying device, and a
ring shaped electrode 22 functions as the electric field applying
device. In the example, the electrode 22 is connected to the
control power 50. The direction of the electric field is controlled
by switching a polarity of the applied electric field while the
direction of the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic
configuring the recording pole 10p is pinned in one direction.
Note, the control can also be performed by applying the electric
field in a constant direction and switching the direction of the
magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic.
[0156] (Electrode Separation)
[0157] In FIG. 15C, the recording pole 10p is formed of the
electromagnetic and functions as the magnetic field applying
device. In contrast, the electric field applying device is
separated from the recording pole 10p. Specifically, the upper
electrode 32 is provided as the upper layer of the recording medium
1, and the lower electrode 31 is provided as the bottom layer
thereof. The first and second recording medium layers 101 and 102
are arranged between the two layers. Furthermore, in the example,
the direction of the applied electric field is controlled by
connecting the two electrodes 31 and 32 to the control power 50.
The recording pole 10p functions only as the magnetic field
applying device and doesn't function as the electric field applying
device. Note, the control can also be performed by switching the
direction of the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic
while the orientation of the electric field is fixed.
[0158] FIGS. 15D through 15F illustrate forms that a permanent
magnet is used in the magnetic field applying device. When the
permanent magnet is used, the magnetization direction is constant.
Because of this, the recording information in the recording medium
1 is controlled by switching the direction of the applied electric
field. Specifically, the electric field applying device is
connected to the control power source 50.
[0159] (Permanent Magnet, Convertible Pole)
[0160] In FIG. 15D, the recording pole 10p is configured of the
permanent magnet and also works as the upper electrode. As a
result, one recording pole 10p serves as the magnetic applying
device and the electric field applying device. Furthermore, by
making its tip end sharp, it is possible to apply a narrowed
magnetic field to the recording medium.
[0161] (Ring Shaped Electrode)
[0162] In FIG. 15E, the magnetic field applying device is formed of
the permanent magnet. By making its tip end sharp, a narrowed
magnetic field is applied. In contrast, the ring shaped upper
electrode 32 works as the electric field applying device, and the
upper electrode 32 is connected to the lower electrode 31 via the
control power source 50.
[0163] (Electrode Separation 2)
[0164] FIG. 15F illustrates a form that the upper electrode is
separated from the upper electrode as in FIG. 15C. In the present
embodiment, the recording pole 10p is arranged that is formed of
the permanent magnet and works as the magnetic field applying
device. Then, the upper electrode 32 and the lower electrode 31 are
arranged as the upper and bottom layers of the recording medium 1.
When the two electrodes are connected to the control power 50, the
electric field direction is arbitrarily switched.
[0165] (Narrow Electric Field, Wide Magnetic Field)
[0166] FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate two models that form a
superimposition region by superimposing a narrow electric field in
a wide magnetic field. FIG. 16A shows an embodiment in which the
recording pole 10p and an electromagnet 26 are provided. The
recording pole 10p has a sharp tip end and works as the upper
electrode. The electromagnet 26 covers the surrounding of the pole.
In the present embodiment, the direction of the electric field is
arbitrarily switched by connecting the recording pole 10p to the
control power source 50. In this case, the magnetic field applying
device applies a bias magnetic field whose direction is constant.
Note, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 16A, the control may
also be performed by using a bias electric field whose direction is
constant and arbitrarily switching the direction of the magnetic
field from the magnetic field applying device.
[0167] In FIG. 16B, the magnetic field applying device is not
arranged in the surrounding of the upper electrode. The magnetic
field applying device is formed with a ring shaped permanent magnet
27 and is arranged in the periphery of the recording pole 10p.
There is a predetermined gap between the ring shaped permanent
magnet 27 and the periphery of the recording pole 10p. In this
case, a configuration such as the inductor 202 for generating a
magnetic field is unnecessary.
[0168] (Narrow Electric Field, Narrow Magnetic Field)
[0169] FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate embodiments that both the
electric field and the magnetic field are narrowed. In FIG. 17A,
the recording pole 10p is configured from the upper electrode 32
and an electromagnet 28. The upper electrode 32 has a sharp tip end
and works as the electric field applying device. The electromagnet
28 has a sharp tip end and works as the magnetic field applying
device. A space Lo between two tips of the upper electrode and the
electromagnet is arbitrarily set such that a minute superimposition
region can be formed on the first recording medium layer of the
recording medium. For the setting, the distance between the
recording pole 10p and the recording medium 1 and the degree of
diffusion of the magnetic field and electric field are considered.
It is thought that, when the distance between the recording pole
10p and the recording medium 1 is about 1-50 nm, an executable
range of the space Lo is 1-200 nm. Note, the sharp tip ends of the
upper electrode 32 and the electromagnet 28 can be arranged such
that extension lines thereof intersect each other at a
predetermined angle (see FIG. 3), and it is possible to adjust the
size and position of the superimposition region with the angle.
[0170] In FIG. 17B, the magnetic field applying device is formed
with a permanent magnet 29 instead of the electromagnet 28 of FIG.
17A. In this case, a configuration such as the inductor 202 for
generating a magnetic field is unnecessary. The upper electrode 32
is connected to the lower electrode 31 via the control power source
50, and the direction of the electric field is arbitrarily
controlled corresponding to magnetic data to be recorded.
[0171] Other forms of the configuration for narrowing the electric
field and magnetic field (configuration that realizes the function
of spatially limiting and applying the magnetic field and electric
field) are also applicable. One example is a form in which the tip
end doesn't have a projection shape but has a concave shape. As
another example, it is possible to use a magnetic field lens.
[0172] (Movement Mechanism)
[0173] FIG. 18 is a conceptual view of a movement mechanism 8 that
has the function of moving at least one of the electric field
applying device 3 and the magnetic field applying device 2
according to the embodiment of the present application to an
arbitrary position on the recording medium 1. The movement
mechanism 8 is formed with the ME recording head 10 (works also as
a reading head), a suspension 81, an arm 82, and an actuator unit
83. The recording medium 1 is attached to a hub 84 (spindle) that
is rotated by a motor.
[0174] The ME recording-reading head 10 is attached to a tip end of
the arm 82 via the suspension. The arm 82 is driven by the actuator
unit 83. In FIG. 18, one recording head 10 as the ME
recording.cndot.reading reproducing means is illustrated, but two
or more heads may be provided in one system. Also, a ME
recording-reading reproducing means that can apply a plurality of
magnetic fields is applicable, and a plurality of recording heads
may be provided in one arm. The number of the recording medium 1
provided in one system is not limited.
[0175] As the above described movement mechanism, a movement
mechanism of a conventional technology is usable. Regarding the
movement mechanism and technologies related to it, following
documents are incorporated herein by reference. [0176] U.S. Pat.
No. 7,190,559 (B2) [0177] U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,451 (B2) [0178] U.S.
Pat. No. 5,768,065 (A) [0179] U.S. Pat. No. 7,440,229 (B2) U.S.
Pat. No. 7,580,222 (B2) U.S. Pat. No. 7,718,218 (B2) [0180] U.S.
Pat. No. 7,706,103 (B2) [0181] US2006114606 (A1) [0182]
US2005141137 (A1) [0183] U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,860 (B2) [0184] U.S.
Pat. No. 7,716,812 (B2) [0185] U.S. Pat. No. 8,284,527 (B2)
[0186] While the present application has been explained based on
the examples as described above, it is obvious for a person skilled
in the art that variety of changes of the above-described examples
may be made without departing from the spirit of scope of the
following claims or its scope.
* * * * *